Lucas Neill linked with move to struggling J-League side

Australia defender Lucas Neill has been linked with a surprise move to J-League strugglers Omiya Ardija, according to Football Australia.

The 35-year-old is currently without a club after playing three games for Sydney FC towards the end of last season and is seeking a new club in order to boost his chances of being selected by coach Holger Osieck for the World Cup in Brazil next year.

Neill had reportedly been in discussions with a couple of Major League Soccer franchises earlier this summer and hoped to join international team-mates Tim Cahill and David Carney in the United States, even missing the EAFF Asian Cup to tie-up a deal.

Talks didn’t pan out as expected but the Socceroos veteran could yet be handed a lifeline in Japan after Ardija stated their interest in bringing him aboard.

“Neill is free so we don’t have to worry about the J. League transfer deadline on the 16th,” an official from the NACK5 Stadium Omiya told the Japan Times. “But we’d like to get the deal done as soon as possible.”

Should he join the Squirrels, Neill would be arriving at a club in turmoil. Despite a strong start to the season, in which they surprisingly led the division, five straight defeats led to the dismissal of manager Zdenko Verdenik and assistant Takeyuki Okamoto stepping up into a caretaker role.

Conceding goals has been Ardija’s primary issue this term and they believe the experience of Neill will shore up the defensive cracks.